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Roger Curtis, director of the Michigan Department of Talent and Economic Development (TED), hosted a discussion about the lack of qualified STEAM talent to fill job openings in Michigan during his session, “Upping Michigan’s Talent Game: Attracting and Retaining STEM Professionals” at the 2018 Mackinac Policy Conference on Thursday.

“As many of you know, we lost about a half-million Michiganders during the recession, and they did not come back.” Curtis said. “We need to attract people to Michigan.”

Curtis shared the findings of TED’s most recent research on talent retention and attraction. According to this research, the biggest barriers preventing people from relocating to Michigan are a lack of job awareness (Michigan is seen as a “single industry” state) and a persistent negative perception of Detroit as dangerous and crime-ridden. 36 percent of recent graduates from Michigan’s public colleges and universities have left the state.

More than 70 percent of Midwestern students are likely to consider moving to Michigan if the right job offer came along. And while the right job is the highest factor, they also consider quality of life and the ability to make a difference critical factors, too. Curtis said there will be more than 800,000 unfilled jobs in the state by 2024.

To capture some of that talent, TED is launching a “Choose Michigan” campaign. Choose Michigan strikes a balance between work, live and play, knowing that the target audience of millennials wants more than just a job.

“Retaining talent is one part of the equation,” Curtis said. “We also must attract talent to our state to fill the current and future talent needs. Choose Michigan rounds out our robust plan to become the world leader in the most and best talent for businesses.”

Key Takeaways:

The “Choose Michigan” campaign will launch in August and is designed to educate youth on the unique, high-tech jobs that are in Michigan.

The campaign’s webpage will feature the best Michigan has to offer in culture, amenities, and more. TED is recruiting local community organizations like Hello Michigan in Grand Rapids to collaborate on the campaign.

The campaign will target college students and millennials through video, Snapchat, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

The pilot program will be tested in three cities with similar history and socioeconomic features as Michigan: Pittsburgh, Chicago and Madison.

The campaign will run through September 2020 as a component of Gov. Rick Snyder’s Marshall Plan.

“Michigan was the comeback state, but now we’re back and have to continue moving forward,” Curtis said. “We need to be loud and proud and share the good things about our state with the world.”

Michigan’s challenge for the future is getting students into the workforce. The bedrock of economic development is a prospering workforce, talent, infrastructure, and quality of life.

Workforce and education experts stressed that building on momentum instead of resetting after elections is key during a panel discussion titled “Is Michigan Prepared? Challenges and Opportunities for Future Growth” moderated by Rick Albin of WOOD TV.

“We are not going to move forward unless there is deep buy-in across our entire state from the business community, parents and educators,” said Tonya Allen, president and CEO of The Skillman Foundation. “They must feel like their voices are heard. If we can get that buy-in, then I think we can figure out what we need to do.”

Allen cited the 70-20-10 equation, a school of thought that 70 percent of issues being discussed can find agreement from both sides, 20 percent can be negotiated, and 10 percent will never be agreed on by both sides.

“The challenge we have in our state is we start with 10 percent and never move forward,” Allen said. “I say let’s start with the 70 percent and see if we can make our way there.”

Allen was joined by Birgit Klohs, president and CEO of the Right Place Inc.; Patti Poppe, president and CEO of Consumers Energy and CMS Energy; and Suzanne Shank, chairwoman and CEO of Siebert Cisneros Shank & Co. LLC.

Panelists agreed that while infrastructure and education are critical areas to focus on, progress will not happen unless there is an overall mindset change on talent.

“What we all have to accept and shift in our minds is to give the electrician who comes and wires your home the same respect you do for somebody with a college education,” Klohs said. “Because it takes that electrician just as long to become a certified electrician as it takes somebody to get a philosophy degree.”

Key Takeaways:

Michigan focuses too much on preparing kids for standardized testing rather than developing social skills to be successful in work. The state needs students to be able to collaborate, think critically, and creatively innovate.

Thirty years ago, Michigan ranked No. 1 in education attainment. Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama ranked 48 and 50, respectively. Michigan now ranks 36th according to U.S. News and World Report.

Diversity is where you count people. Inclusion is where people count.

A regional transit system is important to young people and seniors. It is one of the biggest reasons Seattle has seen growth, while Detroit is still recovering from economic recession.

The American Society of Civil Engineering graded Michigan a “D+” in its 2018 infrastructure report card.

Infrastructure funding should not be thought of solely as fixing and repairing but also in terms of competitiveness. Michigan is at the forefront of autonomous vehicle development but does not have the roads or broadband internet across the state to support widespread rollout.

The state of public health in Detroit is fragmented, expensive, lagging outcomes, and full of disparity. To rethink and transform it, experts say, will require collaboration, patience and persistence. That was the key conclusion of panelists during the discussion, “Can Detroit Transform America’s Health? The Context Is Decisive” on Thursday at the Mackinac Policy Conference.

“When I think about public health in Detroit, I think about it as a public health ecosystem,” said Joneigh Khaldun, the city of Detroit’s health officer and health department director. That ecosystem includes businesses, schools, government and philanthropy working together to leverage data and resources to work toward a solution, Khaldun said.

Khaldun joined Jessica Donze Black, the American Heart Association’s national vice president for community health; David Hefner, vice president for Health Affairs at Wayne State University (WSU); WSU President M. Roy Wilson; and Kimberlydawn Wisdom, senior vice president for community health and equity, and chief wellness and diversity officer for Henry Ford Health System. The discussion was hosted by WSU and was moderated by Loretta Bush, CEO of the Michigan Primary Care Association.

Panelists agreed that improving health outcomes in Detroit would improve outcomes in other parts of the state.

“When we think about public health in Detroit, a lot can be applied to rural areas,” Khaldun said.

Key Takeaways:

In Detroit, a teen female is 2.5 times more likely to get pregnant than teen females across the state. To reverse that trend, the city’s health department has brought together every provider of long-term, reversible contraception in the city and will soon publish a map of providers and launch a hotline for teens. The effort will also provide transportation to take teens to the clinics.

Improving public health outcomes in Detroit will take time and will require constant benchmarking of progress. “If we expect six months’ outcome, we aren’t going to see it,” Black said. “Ultimately, this is a marathon, not a sprint, and we need to be in it for the long-run.”

Universities have a responsibility to lead public health efforts. During the discussion, Wilson called on Oakland University President Ora Pescovitz, who was in the audience, to collaborate in developing a school of public health for the region.

Most barriers to health are related to social determinants: housing instability, food insecurity, transportation and education. Those are also keys to improving health outcomes, and another reason why institutions must collaborate.

Another key barrier is innovation; institutions must identify funding resources and seek grants to improve health. Nonprofits often have a greater potential for funding when health systems write letters of support for a cause.

This article was written by Crain’s Content Studio as part of a collaborative partnership with the Detroit Regional Chamber for the 2018 Mackinac Policy Conference.

Women are problem-solvers and multitaskers; experts agree they should be hired, promoted and paid equal to their male counterparts. But creating a workplace culture of gender inclusion is complicated, and in the #MeToo era, there are unintended risks.

“Women are pissed off, and there is danger when activism comes out of anger,” said U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI 12), who participated in the panel discussion, “The Women’s Wave: Breaking the Silence” during the Mackinac Policy Conference on Thursday.

“I’m not old, but I’m seasoned,” Dingell said. “Women of my generation have 100 stories and have put up with a lot. What’s great about young people is that they are not tolerating these things. But we have to make sure there is due process.”

Dingell joined Carolyn Cassin, president and CEO of Michigan Women Forward and general partner of the BELLE Michigan Impact Fund; W.K. Kellogg Foundation President and CEO La June Montgomery Tabron; and 2018 Conference Chair Ray Telang, U.S. automotive leader and Detroit managing partner for PwC, on the panel. Patti Solis Doyle, a CNN political commentator and president of Solis Strategies, moderated the discussion.

Panelists agreed workplace gender parity is important but complicated: it involves buy-in from leadership, bias training, and constructive dialogues. Ultimately, they concluded, gender parity within an organization helps the bottom line.

“Companies that promote women to senior levels make more money than companies that do not,” Tabron said. “This has been known for a decade.”

Key Takeaways:

One danger in pushing for gender parity at work is that organizations don’t get to the root cause. “We need to think about how we’ve gotten ourselves into this place where women are valued less than men — how we have gotten into a space where actions are living out unconscious biases,” Tabron said.

Telang called workplace gender parity a “business imperative.” But he acknowledged that one unintended consequence of the #MeToo movement is that some men now question whether they should take a female co-worker to lunch or whether they should mentor them the way they would mentor a male co-worker.

There are 83 women in the U.S. House of Representatives and 21 women in the U.S. Senate — though women are more than 51 percent of the U.S. population. Dingell said she is hopeful because she is seeing more women run for office this year than ever before.

Women and men have an equal responsibility to work toward workplace gender parity. “If you’re a woman in a senior leadership position, raise your hand, stand up and speak out for another woman. Get bias training for everyone. Get out in the open and talk about it,” Cassin said.

Panelists disagreed as to whether there will be equal pay in their lifetime. Tabron and Cassin said yes; Telang said he was “absolutely hopeful”; Dingell said that although millennials will be “treated a whole lot better, they won’t catch up.”

This article was written by Crain’s Content Studio as part of a collaborative partnership with the Detroit Regional Chamber for the 2018 Mackinac Policy Conference.

While intertwining humorous stories of her time in both politics and commentary, keynote speaker and Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan spoke to the Conference pillar of “trust.” To rebuild trust and make America a more peaceful nation, the responsibility falls not on leaders and institutions, but on individuals in their daily life, Noonan said.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist stressed that the nation is facing an epidemic of tactlessness. While it may be an antiquated virtue, tact is crucial in both personal interactions as well as efforts to address society’s most perplexing issues.

Her call to action? Be one of the few. Despite their monolithic appearance and often imposing veneer, America’s civic and societal institutions are alarmingly fragile and highly dependent on human effort. They are saved every day only by the quite heroism of the few who decide to make a difference.

“… Our mighty institutions — the grand marble courthouses, gleaming government buildings, and soaring cathedrals — are in daily need of saving … by the wisdom and patience, by the quiet heroism of the few, of the good boss, of the manager who doesn’t think, ‘This company exists to employ me, this company exists to provide a service and to help people, and I have a great job in it.’ Try to have a sense of not a job, but a vocation,” Noonan said.

Following her address, Noonan was joined on stage by Detroit News columnist and associate business editor Daniel Howes for a brief Q&A session, where she shared her thoughts behind the rise and subsequent election of President Trump, and how the tension in America may be reaching a cultural fissure — a “Lincoln-esque moment,” where the country may break apart.

Key Takeaways:

America’s declining trust is a crisis. Declining trust in democratic institutions reflects a more dangerous lack of trust in ourselves and in democracy as a model of government.

All of us, but especially young people, should understand that institutions are only as strong as the people in them.

Strong beliefs are formed in adolescence, and it is up to community leaders to model to youth the way they should think of business, government, and other societal functions.

There is a gap between skepticism and cynicism. Skepticism is healthy, but cynicism is a hard-setting virus that attacks the will to make change.

In this moment in time, it is not President Trump’ stated mission or intent to rebuilt trust. A humble, more collegial government starts with states and communities, as leaders work to restore tactfulness and peace.

Drawing on humorous anecdotes and his down-to-earth reputation, former U.S. Speaker John Boehner took the filter off to share his unabashed opinion on everything from President Trump, to social media, marijuana use, and hyper-partisan politics gridlocking progress in Washington during a keynote address and candid conversation Thursday sponsored by Delta Air Lines.

“Coming from a big family, you pick up a couple of life lessons along the way that helped me during my time in Washington. First, you have to deal with every jackass that comes in the door. And secondly, you have to be able to disagree without being disagreeable,” Boehner said.

Boehner, the son of a bartender, one of 12 children, and a staunch Roman Catholic, said he never thought he would run for office, much less rise to the prominence of Speaker of the House. However, he said he was proud of what was accomplished during his 25 years and credited a natural ability to find common ground on both sides of the aisle for progress in areas like government spending and the No Child Left Behind Act.

Following his remarks, Boehner was joined on stage by Devin Scillian, anchor for WDIV-TV 4, to share insight on myriad topics.

Key Takeaways:

On the election of President Trump: “Elections are won and lost based on who shows up to the polls. The two people in the world that were the most shocked on election night 2016 were Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.”

On trust: “The political process requires the ability to trust one another, work together and find common ground to build coalitions of support on issues to help the American people.”

On hyper-partisan politics: “The right and left do not want their candidates working with the other side fueled by the 24/7 world of partisan news and political commentaries that flood social media.”

On Congress: “Congress is everyone’s favorite whipping boy. During my time, I’ve worked with some of the smartest and some of the dumbest people in Washington. But 95 percent of the people elected to Congress are decent people working tirelessly on the issues that are important to their constituents.”

On President Trump: “He has done some good things. His style is not my style, but he has done some good things for reducing government oversite and regulation.”

“The media and social media spend too much time focusing on the White House. Society is stronger than one person operating the White House. We will live through Trump.”

On America’s foreign policy: “Our allies are thrilled to death that America is leading. No one else is capable of that. Look at what is happening with North Korea’s denuclearization negotiation. President Trump has been on North Korea like white on rice while other presidents historically move on after 30 days.”

On the media: “Never get into a pissing match with a skunk and never get into a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel.”

On tariffs: “I don’t think President Trump wants to start a trade war. What he is doing is driving people to the negotiating table. He wants to cut a deal.”

On health care: “The Affordable Care Act is a mess but there are things that can be done to improve it. I believe we should empower states to run these exchanges, they can do a lot better job than a Washington bureaucrat.”

On Michigan: “Michigan is a prime example of America’s resilience. Michigan was one of the hardest hit states during the economic recession and has come back in a big way.”

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. May 31, 2018 – Today, the Detroit Regional Chamber announced Consumers Energy and CMS Energy President and Chief Executive Officer Patti Poppe as Chair of the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference. PwC Greater Michigan Market Managing Partner and U.S. Automotive Leader Ray Telang, the 2018 Conference Chair and incoming Chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, made the announcement from the main stage.

“Patti’s leadership is invaluable to the Chamber, her perspective as the chief executive of a Fortune 500 company and Michigan’s largest energy provider with more than 7,500 employees will ensure the Conference tackles issues critical to Michigan’s competitiveness and growth,” said Chamber President and CEO Sandy Baruah. “Patti’s insight will offer a fresh approach to convening a statewide discussion focused on Michigan’s long-term prosperity.”

Poppe joined the Chamber’s Board of Directors in 2016 and began serving on its Executive Committee in 2017. Poppe has championed Consumers Energy’s engagement in the Conference, notably recruiting Dean Kamen, founder, FIRST Robotics as a keynote speaker in 2015 and hosting Michigan-based FIRST teams to conduct demonstrations at the Grand Hotel. Poppe has served on the Conference CEO Advisory Committee since 2017.

Poppe was named President and CEO of Consumers Energy and CMS Energy in 2016, leading a company which serves 1.8 million electric customers and 1.7 million natural gas customers. After serving in management roles with General Motors and DTE Energy, Poppe joined Consumers in 2011 and went on to hold multiple positions on the senior management team.

Poppe is credited for her ongoing work to lead Consumers through cultural change within the organization and a disruption to the energy sector, brought on by the need to invest in clean energy technology. In February, Consumers announced its breakthrough goal of planning to meet Michigan’s energy needs by reducing carbon emissions by 80 percent; no longer using coal to generate electricity; and increasing renewable energy to 40 percent – all by 2040. For the first time, under Poppe’s leadership, the company has been named the #1 and #2 Best Large Employer to Work for in Michigan by Forbes Magazine in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

“As Chair of the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference, I am looking forward to helping shape Michigan’s vision through this signature event with other business and governmental leaders who care about our state’s future,” Poppe said. “Discussions on the island help ensure we are prepared for the future and truly competing for increased business investment and top talent – because when Michigan business wins, we all win.”

Planning for the 2019 Conference will begin in the late summer. Poppe, an advisory committee of Michigan-based CEOs and Chamber leadership will develop pillars and the agenda for next year’s event, which will be held from Tuesday, May 28 through Friday, May 31 on Mackinac Island, Michigan.

The Mackinac Policy Conference – the Detroit Regional Chamber’s annual statewide event – convenes Michigan’s most influential audience to engage in collaborative dialogue on the state’s economic future. Since 1981, the Conference has provided a unique-in-the-nation experience for Michigan’s top business, government, civic, philanthropic and entrepreneurial leaders. As Michigan’s premier policy event, the Conference attracts more than 1,700 attendees annually to discuss key issues facing the state. The Conference concludes with an actionable To-Do List that transforms dialogue into positive outcomes to create a more business-friendly climate in Michigan. To learn more, visit mpc.detroitchamber.com.

About the Detroit Regional Chamber
Serving the business community for more than 100 years, the Detroit Regional Chamber is one of the oldest, largest and most respected chambers of commerce in the country. The Chamber’s mission of powering the economy for Southeast Michigan is carried out through economic development, education reform, regional collaboration and providing valuable benefits to members. For more information, please visit detroitchamber.com.

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich., May 31, 2018 – Today, General Motors (GM) and the Detroit Regional Chamber announced a new neighborhood grant program designed to boost activity in Detroit’s neighborhoods at the Mackinac Policy Conference. The NeighborHUB Community Grant program will award five $30,000 grants and in-kind business support to nonprofit organizations that propose the most innovative and collaborative solutions to the issues facing the city’s neighborhoods.

The application period will launch this summer and is open to nonprofit organizations located in the city of Detroit.

Successful proposals will have two main components:

Programming focused on needs identified by the community.

Improving an accessible physical space to house the programming – i.e. a vacant storefront or within an existing building.

“Detroit’s renaissance is dependent on the future sustainability of the neighborhoods beyond the downtown district,” said Tammy Carnrike, chief operating officer for the Detroit Regional Chamber. “A stronger Detroit – in all corners – will boost economic growth in our region, which is why we are partnering with GM to empower residents and neighborhoods through the nonprofit organizations that are closest to the communities.”

The NeighborHUB program is a collaborative effort between the Chamber and GM, and is designed to empower residents to affect change in their neighborhoods through physical presence and innovative programming.

“We’re looking for organizations that are willing to collaborate with their neighborhood businesses, residents, schools, local government and other nonprofits to create solutions to the problems that are most important to them,” said Terry Rhadigan, executive director of Corporate Giving at GM.

Organizations interested in applying should stay tuned to www.detroitchamber.com/neighborhub for details including the application launch date, deadlines, processes, and other program resources.

About the Detroit Regional Chamber
Serving the business community for more than 100 years, the Detroit Regional Chamber is one of the oldest, largest and most respected chambers of commerce in the country. The Chamber’s mission of powering the economy for Southeast Michigan is carried out through economic development, education reform, regional collaboration and providing valuable benefits to members. For more information, please visit detroitchamber.com.

About General MotorsGeneral Motors Co.(NYSE:GM) has leadership positions in the world’s largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

Opioids are a workplace problem, not a socioeconomic problem. Two-thirds of those abusing opioids in Michigan are employed, according to Jenny Love, Southeast Region health management director for Gallagher Benefit Services.

The best way to combat the problem is through awareness and education according to business and health care leaders, who discussed Wednesday how the opioid epidemic is affecting Michigan. The panel, “Opioids in the Workplace: Impacting Michigan,” looked deep into the role business can play to mitigate abuse during the first day of the 2018 Mackinac Policy Conference.

“No one is immune to this issue,” said Bud Denker, president of Penske Corp. “If you think you are, your head is stuck in the sand, no matter how big of a company you are.”

Denker noted that the mindset around opioid abuse is that they are prescribed by a doctor, so they must be OK, whereas heroin has a reputation of being “dirty.” But data shows 19,000 people died of heroin overdoses and 42,000 died from opioid misuse last year.

“What we can do is be business partners with physicians and with the community,” said Dan Loepp, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. “We have so much information. You can look at trends. We need to regard this issue as an epidemic. Seventy percent of the workforce is impacted.”

On June 1, a new law in Michigan will require doctors to talk to patients about the risks of taking opioids before writing prescriptions for the drugs. Patients will also need to sign a consent form.

Key Takeaways:

Michigan ranks 10th among states for opioid prescriptions and 18th for opioid-related deaths.

More people are coming forward with opioid addiction and employers need to be ready. Pathways should be established for employees to seek help within organizations.

Lawsuits brought by Oakland and Wayne counties against drug manufacturers and distributors alleging deceptive marketing and sale of opioids are helping raise awareness of abuse.

It only takes three to five days to develop a dependency on opioids.

Businesses need to instill a culture of trust within their organization.

Overall awareness about opioid abuse is increasing in the medical profession and among insurers; doctor shopping will be less of a problem in two to four years because of licensing requirements.

This article was written by Crain’s Content Studio as part of a collaborative partnership with the Detroit Regional Chamber for the 2018 Mackinac Policy Conference.

National politics took center stage in Michigan on Wednesday, May 31 as three political pundits sounded off on the Mackinac Policy Conference pillar of restoring trust in critical institutions.

Former U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., a regular commentator on MSNBC and CNBC, moderated a chat between Patti Solis Doyle, a campaign strategist and CNN political commentator, and former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts Jr. In between making predictions for the midterm and 2020 elections, the three took the opportunity to express their opinions on the polarizing tweets that have become a pillar of Donald Trump’s presidency.

“He (Trump) sets the tone and it’s beyond exhausting,” said Doyle, who is also president of Solis Strategies.

The people suffer, Doyle said, because the media spends time covering what the president of the United States is expressing on Twitter rather than the trade wars, steel tariffs or issues that impact their everyday lives.

“I think journalism has changed in many respects; it’s become opinion journalism,” said Watts, founder and chairman of J.C. Watts Companies. “We are on a slippery slope.”

Watts, who admitted he did not vote for Trump or Clinton in 2016, predicted Trump will be re-elected in 2020. “He is a junkyard dog,” Watts said. “It will be extremely tough to beat him.”

On trust in the media: “Politicians do not like the media at all. It’s by nature a very adversarial relationship,” Doyle said. “(Trump) has taken it to a new level.”

On civility in politics: The country is in danger of allowing “dysfunctional” to be a new normal, Watts said.

On beating Trump in 2020: The Democrats, Doyle said, do not have a clear leader. When asked to offer two names as potentials for the Democratic nomination in 2020, she suggested former Vice President Joe Biden and a yet-to-be-determined woman candidate.

On gun control legislation: Watts said the gun debate has to be viewed in layers – there’s no simple solution. “You can’t just look at it in terms of mental health or in terms of taking guns away. It’s deeper than that,” he said.

On Obama’s legacy: Doyle said universal health care was the best thing President Obama accomplished while in office. “Thirteen million people have health care that didn’t have it before,” she said.

On North Korea: Doyle acknowledged getting a seat at the table with North Korea and a potential for denuclearization is a key accomplishment of President Trump.

This article was written by Crain’s Content Studio as part of a collaborative partnership with the Detroit Regional Chamber for the 2018 Mackinac Policy Conference.